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National Parks

National Parks

A National Park is a park used for the conservation and development of natural resources and preservation of native wildlife. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers a 'National Park' a protected area.

National Park Service (NPS) employees and volunteers safeguard and maintain the United States' 392 parks. About 275 million people visit these places each year. There are tens of thousands of acres of land, oceans, lakes and reservoirs; 68,000 archeological sites; 43,000 miles of shoreline; 27,000 historic structures and much more. The NPS is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior and is led by a director nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. (Source: NPS / Photo: Flickr)

Video: Just in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, a team of geographers and cartographers have produced an interactive online map that shows the terrain as it would have appeared through the eyes of Gettysburg commanders.